Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication is not examined No.2000-165422
Summary of the invention
The problem to be solved in the present invention
For the configuration of whole vehicle by single controller control, the control signal that send a plurality of devices to be controlled to can be concentrated on this single controller.Therefore, even when making device collaborative work to be controlled, also can make up software with simple configuration.But the fault in controller can make the action of whole vehicle stop.In addition, in large-scale industrial vehicle, the distribution that slave controller is used to the control signal of device to be controlled extends a substantial distance, and the number of distribution is bigger, so increased the complicacy of design and installation step.Moreover the parts that will operate are a lot.The probability that bad contact when therefore, using owing to distribution, the fracture of distribution etc. are broken down is very high.
In recent years, a kind of method is employed, and in the method, each device to be controlled all is furnished with nonshared control unit, and each controller couples together by network, to control the action of whole vehicle.But according to this method, the controller of each device to be controlled uses the controller that is made of specialized hardware.Therefore, need independent design software, and software design itself is just very complicated.In addition, also may cause some performances of controller, for example, communication performance becomes general in a plurality of controllers.But, be confined to specific device by the device of a controller control, perhaps the installation site of controller is limited in the preposition place, and has only the device Be Controlled specific to be controlled that is fit to this specific installation site.Therefore, generality of hardware is just not much of that.In addition, software itself needs to make up separately for each controller in advance, and when breaking down, maintainability is compared with the controller with specialized hardware, remains unchanged.That is, traditional controller is not also realized the general fully of hardware itself, and needs the independent software that is adapted to as the device to be controlled of controlling object that makes up.Therefore, the traditional controller of neither one is can change simply to be used on any device to be controlled.
Particularly aforesaid large-scale industrial vehicle is used under the harsh condition of work, if local fault stops the action of whole vehicle, will hinder one's work significantly.So people wish can carry out minimum function under the situation that local fault takes place, so that can not hinder one's work, and also can promptly carry out maintenance operation.
The present invention be directed to that the problems referred to above finish.The objective of the invention is for large-scale industrial vehicle provides a kind of controller, this controller has a lot of I/O functions, highly versatile, and software wherein changes easily.
The means of dealing with problems
In order to address the above problem, according to an aspect of the present invention, the controller that is used for large-scale industrial vehicle is a plurality of controllers that provide at the large-scale industrial vehicle that is equipped with the working machine of carrying out predetermined work; These controllers are control setting device a plurality of to be controlled in large-scale industrial vehicle, that comprise working machine independently of one another; Described large-scale industrial vehicle be in fork truck, motor-driven level road car and the fork lift truck any one; The hardware configuration of a plurality of controllers is fully general, is included in the output of the solenoid valve and the servo-valve of described device at least; A plurality of controllers are connected to each other by network; The software that is used to control each device to be controlled has hierarchy, it is general being positioned at the driver software that lower floor is used for directly controlling each device to be controlled, and to have only the application software that is positioned at the upper strata of utilizing driver software be different according to the function of each device to be controlled.
Particularly, the hardware configuration that not only makes each controller inside is general, and make the position of placement and as passing to and all being general from the number of connectors of input and output signal (for example, serial signal, simulating signal and the digital signal) interface of outside device to be controlled etc.According to device to be controlled, the type of the input and output signal of requirement, capacity (as voltage) and quantity are inequality.But the type of peak demand, capacity and quantity are general.
As described network, CAN (controller area net) bus that is mainly used in automobile links together controller.The high-speed CAN bus that particularly has several Mbps or bigger speed is wished.
According on the other hand, the controller that is used for large-scale industrial vehicle that addresses the above problem is the above-mentioned controller that is used for large-scale industrial vehicle, it is characterized in that providing the rewriting means, makes to have only application software to rewrite.
According on the other hand, the controller that is used for large-scale industrial vehicle that addresses the above problem is the above-mentioned controller that is used for large-scale industrial vehicle, it is characterized in that providing the limited operation means, be used for to pass through other controller function, like this, the controller that promptly is used in the Control work machine breaks down or is not connected to network, and perhaps working machine is removed from large-scale industrial vehicle, and large-scale industrial vehicle can be moved at least.
That is, the limited operation means be called as degradation modes are set, even in a plurality of thus controller one breaks down or when not being connected to network, also can carry out limited operation, this allows vehicle operating.The object of this limited operation is not limited only to vehicle operating.For example, in order to guarantee safety, can be with the motion limits of working machine to action that can operated minimum requirements.
The effect of invention
According to the present invention, make that each hardware of a plurality of controllers be used to control device to be controlled is general.Therefore, by only changing installed software, the object of changeable control, and can with have change software the controller conversion with on the device that is used in selection.As a result, can reduce the type that is used in the parts in the large-scale industrial vehicle.In addition, because the cause of the economy of large-scale production, generality of hardware can realize the decline of unit price.
According to the present invention, a plurality of controllers are connected to each other by network (CAN bus).Therefore, control function can be distributed between a plurality of controllers, also can improve the degree of freedom of installation position.That is, according to the design of the car body of large-scale industrial vehicle, the installation site of selection control flexibly.Compare with traditional large-scale industrial vehicle, the distributed arrangement of controller can reduce distribution in the car that is used for the operation input and output that hydraulic selector is connected with many signals significantly.Equally, obtained the effect of cutting down distribution cost and equipment cost.Also produced the effect that prevents fault, such as working machine or have the fracture or the bad contact of sensor signal lines of the pilothouse of slide mechanism.
According to the present invention, obtained the generality of hardware of each controller, and in having the software of hierarchy, be used for the versatility of lower floor's driver software of directly control device to be controlled.Therefore, use the application software of driver software by only changing the upper strata, the controller with the application software that changes thus can be used as the controller of the different device to be controlled of control.So, under the impaired situation of controller, utilize the rewriting means, as maintenance tool, only rewrite application software.If carry out such rewriting, the controller that is used to control other devices to be controlled can be used as the selectable unit (SU) of the controller of controlling desirable device to be controlled.Thus, can reduce desired step of first aid and time.
According to the present invention, even controller, for example be used to control the controller of the working machine such as suspender, break down or be not connected to network, other controllers also can be realized the car body control and the bridge operation of large-scale industrial vehicle, thereby the permission limited operation is as operation (degradation modes).So, in transportation, assemble or when safeguarding, though working machine be removed during, the operation of the vehicle possibility that also becomes.
Embodiment
According to the device a plurality of to be controlled that is used for the controller control large-scale industrial vehicle of large-scale industrial vehicle of the present invention.The hardware of each is made into generally in these controllers, and the essential characteristic of software also is made into general, and has only the minimum essential feature of software to be built as to be fit to device to be controlled.Therefore, the software of controller can easily be changed.No matter, as the device to be controlled of controlling object how easily switching controller is to be used for any device to be controlled.
Even other controllers break down, the controller that is used for large-scale industrial vehicle according to the present invention enters degradation modes by predefined procedure, thereby only carries out limited operation, for example operation.
Embodiment 1
Fig. 1 shows the figure of ios dhcp sample configuration IOS DHCP, has used the controller that is used for large-scale industrial vehicle according to of the present invention in the example.
Among the present invention, explain large-scale industrial vehicle as example with fork truck.But the present invention not only is confined to this, can also be applied to other large-scale industrial vehicle, such as heavy fork lift truck and motor-driven grader.
If explain tout court, fork truck is heavy cargo handling vehicle, is used for the loading and unloading of dock container or moves etc.The fork truck cost is low, turns easily, to the displacement of container without limits.Fork truck not only can obtain the container that is placed on the front, and can obtain the container that is positioned at the back, so be the cargo handling vehicle of transporting very easily with moving containers.
As shown in Figure 1, fork truck has: car body 3, described car body 3 are equipped with two front-wheels 1 and two trailing wheels 2; Cantilever 6 is arranged on the car body 3, so as by jit cylinder 5 around support 4 tiltables; Support arm 7 is arranged in the cantilever 6, so as scalable, and by being arranged on the retracting cylinder (not shown) stretching, extension in the cantilever 6 or shrinking; And suspender 9, described suspender 9 is arranged on the fore-end of support arm 7, is suitable for stretching with contractile motion, rotatablely moves, banking motion and parallel motion, and can keep containers by enough four lock pins 8.Pilothouse 10 be placed in the upper surface of car body 3 and cantilever 6 below, duration of work, the visibility at its riding position place is enough.The operator can utilize the guidance panel in the pilothouse 10, carries out the shift action of fork truck itself, or is used for the maintenance action or the installation action of container.
In large-scale industrial vehicle, working machine so disposes so that can carry out the predetermined course of work.In fork truck, for example suspender 9 is as working machine.As controller, fork truck has the controller 11 of control suspender 9; The control vehicle is with the controller 13 of moving vehicle; And the controller 12 that is used to control the operation of carrying out by the operator.These controllers are controlled suspender 9, car body 3 and the pilothouse 10 as device to be controlled independently of one another respectively.In addition, fork truck has display and J/S (operating rod) 14, be used for to operator's indication information, and indication is handled from operations of operators person.These controllers are connected to each other by high-speed CAN bus network (being designated hereinafter simply as CAN) 15.Each controller is intercoursed necessary control information in real time, and is each device executivecontrol function to be controlled.Controller 13 is monitored other controller 11 and 12 as master controller, and controls whole vehicle with integral way.That is, these three constitute by the interconnected controller of CAN15 and to have the so-called distributed network that is distributed in triangular performance or function.
Each all comprises CPU (treatment circuit), memory block (have the ROM that comprises Control Software and data and as the RAM of arithmetic workspace) and as I/F (interface) circuit of the treatment circuit of input and output signal above-mentioned controller.
Compare with controller traditional, that control all devices to be controlled individually,, controller can be arranged near the device to be controlled because a plurality of controller structures are become distributed network.So can reduce the distribution between controller and the device to be controlled significantly.Moreover, owing to can exchange control signal, simplified the structure between the device by unique CAN cable.So, can significantly reduce the required quantity in man-hour of assembling, and can reduce distribution itself, the failure rate that can reduce like this because distribution fracture etc. causes.Rapid reaction when breaking down in addition, the possibility that also becomes.
In the fork truck shown in Fig. 1, the controller of controller 11, the pilothouse I/O of control suspender and the controller 13 that is used for car body control have complete general hardware configuration, and the driver software that uses all-purpose is provided with the operation of hardware and directly starts control device.But the application software of using driver software to control device to be controlled is unique different instrument in each different controllers.For example, the controller 11 of the action of control suspender has the suspender Control Software as application software, control has pilothouse I/O software as application software from the controller 12 of operations of operators, and the controller 13 of the action of control car body has the car body Control Software as application software.The details of these features will provide after a while.
In above-mentioned feature, the controller 11 of the action of control suspender 9 is by working machine I/F 16, each control device to suspender transmits control signal, drive engine, and obtain detectable signal from sensor, survey the operating state of suspender, for example, the position of lock pin, the angle of inclination of suspender etc.In addition, controller 11 is lighted emergency warning lamp and is indicated operation to carry out.Controller 11 also uses working machine Electromagnetic Control 17, so that being carried out action, solenoid valve controls, thus the action of control hydraulic cylinder, to realize stretching, extension and the contractive action and the tilting action of suspender 9.
Controller 12 obtains input signal from pilothouse 10 by operator I/F 18, such as accelerator pedal and brake pedal, and by CAN 15 to controller 11 and 13 communicating control informations, control the action of vehicle 3 and suspender 9.
Controller 13 is responsible for the integral body control of vehicle by the whole control 19 of vehicle, and utilizes car body I/F 19 control car bodies 3.In addition, the action control to cantilever 6 is carried out in controller 13 usefulness cantilever servo-valves control 20, with the action control of T/M (transmission) solenoid control 21 execution to T/M, and carry out action control to engine with engine control 22, particularly, be to the control of the oil pressure of engine with to the control of battery.
The configuration of display and J/S 14 can be similar with any one configuration in the above-mentioned controller.But unlike other controller, display and J/S 14 do not need to comprise the input and output signal of a lot of types, but need provide the output signal that is used to indicate on display.Therefore, display and J/S 14 usefulness nonshared control units are issued signal to display, and obtain signal from J/S.Even in this example, display and J/S 14 have general communication performance, and can be independent of controller 11,12 and 13, by CAN 15 exchange control signal and information of vehicles.Particularly, the information of vehicles that utilizes slave controller 11 and controller 13 to obtain, indication information on display 14 is such as posture and the error code at the operating period of suspender vehicle.In addition, nonshared control unit obtains handling from operations of operators person from J/S 14 inputs.Nonshared control unit transmits this operation information by CAN 15 to controller 11 and 13 and controls the action of suspender 9 and the action of vehicle 3.
In the fork truck of above-mentioned configuration, operator in the pilothouse 10 is in the working condition that shows with reference to enameling at display 14 (weight of the assembling form of goods, the posture of vehicle, container, the angle of cantilever, support arm flexible or the like) and vehicle condition (rotational speed of engine, speed of vehicle or the like) simultaneously, J/S 14 on the guidance panel of operation pilothouse 10 carries out the shift action of car body 3, the tilting action of cantilever 6, the expanding-contracting action of support arm 7, and the expanding-contracting action of suspender 9, spinning movement and maintenance action.For example, in service at the container that plays is carried out such control, makes car body 3 to move, and makes suspender 9 be in the firm position after dismount that can move simultaneously.The steady state (SS) of vehicle shows on display 14.For example, if upward slope etc. might break the firm position after dismount of ring vehicle, just carry out control so that issue warning at once automatically or manually keeps firm position after dismount.
Fig. 2 shows the formation example according to the input/output signal of the controller that is used for large-scale industrial vehicle of the present invention.
In order to compare, the table among this figure also shows the formation that is used in the desired input/output signal of controller among common fork truck, heavy F/L (fork lift truck) and the M/G (motor-driven grader).
Particularly, the controller that is used for large-scale industrial vehicle according to the present invention has: be used for 4 connections from the pulse input signal of device to be controlled; Each 1 of serial signal who is respectively applied for synchronous mode, asynchronous mode and CAN is connected; Be used for 5 connections to the output signal of servo-valve; Be used for 12 connections of the output of solenoid valve; Be used for 12 connections of analog input signal; Be used to simulate 2 connections of output; Be used for 24 connections of contactor input (24V); Be used for 8 connections of contactor input (5V); Be used for 13 connections of contactor output (24V); Be used for 5 connections of contactor output (5V).These are connections of the essential maximum number that is used for input and output of device to be controlled, and all are general for these controllers.To the input of contactor and from the capacity of the output (as voltage etc.) of contactor also is the max cap. of requirement, and all is general for controller.The specification that these values require corresponding to the common fork truck of listing in the hurdle that satisfies general purpose controller the right in Fig. 2.Simultaneously, these values also fully satisfy listed heavy F/L and the specification of M/G, and can be applicable to other large-scale industrial vehicles and fork truck.
That is,, not only make the hardware configuration in the controller, and the connector that is used in input and output signal all is general, and makes their arrangement position also identical for generality of hardware between the controller.In addition, each controller is all cased fully, and improving dustproof attribute, and when replacing controller, the connector of replacing controller is just much of that, realizes predetermined actions thus.
Fig. 3 shows the example according to the logic configuration of the controller that is used for large-scale industrial vehicle of the present invention.
Fig. 3 has demonstrated the logic configuration example of the controller that is used to carry out vehicle control.But, except with the corresponding vehicle control module part of application software, be used for the controller that suspender control and pilothouse control and have identical configuration.
In the logic configuration that is used for the controller of large-scale industrial vehicle according to the present invention, particularly, general fully with the structure of corresponding CPU of hardware and I/F circuit.Not only with physical configuration (promptly, hardware) corresponding part, and with the setting of the hardware of controller inside (particularly, be used for the setting of clock, pattern, terminal cpu function, impulse meter, PWM (pulse-width modulator) function and A/D translative mode) configuration of corresponding part all is fully general, and with so-called microcomputer layer as general-purpose platform.
In addition, hierarchy is built up in the application layer zone that constitutes software, and with the low layer of application layer, promptly, have and be used for directly receiving or, building up general configuration fully to the Drive Module of the driver software of device output control signal to be controlled from device to be controlled.Particularly, general I/O, servo-valve Current Control PWM output, pulses switch and A/D conversion are used as common configuration.Drive Module between the controller and microcomputer layer have identical configuration.On the other hand, as the upper strata of application layer and use the control module of driver software, for example,, has the application software that is used for vehicle control if control module is a vehicle control module.According to the device to be controlled of vehicle control module control, the configuration of vehicle control module becomes different.Particularly, vehicle control module has the software that is used to realize car speed calculating, transmission control, engine control, switch/lamp control and cargo handling/working machine control.That is, the application software that is used for the suspender control module is installed under the situation of suspender, for this part of control module, or under the situation of pilothouse, is used for the application software of pilothouse control module to this part installation of control module.In addition, according to device to be controlled, only replace this control module part, the control module part can be used as any controller thus, and easily its conversion is used.
Universal driver module (drive software) is stored among the ROM (ROM (read-only memory)) of controller inside.The control module of the level on Drive Module uses this Drive Module to control the action of device to be controlled.According to prior defined procedure, control module (application software) can rewrite, and it is kept at can rewrites among the ROM (as, flash ROM).
Secondly, will be described in the process under the out of order situation in the controller with reference to figure 4 and process flow diagram shown in Figure 5.
For example, the process flow diagram of Fig. 4 shows under the out of order situation of controller that is used for suspender control, is used for the process of degradation modes.
(step S1)
Fault finding error code on the display 14 in the checking verification pilothouse 10.At this moment, confirm that described sign indicating number is the error code that shows the fault of the controller that is used for suspender.
(step S2)
Open the interlocking release key SW on the guidance panel in the pilothouse 10.
(step S3)
Confirm that the fault finding error code does not show on the display 14 in pilothouse 10.If in the suspender controller fault is arranged, interlocking release key SW is no matter the mistake in the suspender controller discharges interlocking instantaneously, rather than forbids the operation of suspender 9 itself.In this case, stop the demonstration of the fault finding error code on the display 14 also instantaneously.
(step S4)
Executable operations, and interlocking release key SW is held open.That is, forbid the operation of suspender 9, and realize other operation, for example, just be used for the operation of the operation of vehicle.This is degradation modes (limited operation means), even in three controllers is not connected, or does not have under the state of the manipulator of suspender 9 and so on for example, and degradation modes also can be carried out limited operation.In fork truck,, vehicle can be moved, and suspender 9 is positioned at safe position according to degradation modes.
(step S5)
Cut off the power supply of vehicle.
(step S6)
After the repairing of finishing the suspender controller or replacing it, close interlocking release key SW (removing described key).Then, confirm that the fault finding error code does not show on the display 14 in pilothouse 10.
The process flow diagram of Fig. 5 shows being used for and controls under the out of order situation of controller of other member outside the suspender 9, is used for the process of degradation modes.
(step S11)
Fault finding error code on the display 14 of checking pilothouse 10.At this moment, confirm that described sign indicating number is the error code that shows the fault in the controller (for example, car body controller) that is used for other member outside the suspender.
(step S12)
Cut off the power supply of vehicle.
(step S13)
Suspender controller and out of order car body controller are all removed, and the suspender controller is added into the car body controller, as new car body controller.
(step S14)
The Mode S W of new car body controller is switched to software Installation Modes (rewriting device).
(step S15)
Connect the power supply of vehicle.
(step S16)
Cable and PC (computing machine) will be installed be connected to new car body controller, think its installation application software.
(step S17)
Cut off the power supply of vehicle.
(step S18)
The Mode S W of new car body controller is switched to RUN pattern (normality).
(step S19)
The power supply of unlocking vehicle.Then, carrying out with the step S2 in the process flow diagram shown in Figure 4 is the process (the some A among Fig. 4) of beginning.